Horn



W. S PA R KS.

HORN.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-4. 19.18.

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,"IGNGR T0 SPARKS-WITHINGTON ACORPOR-ATION OF OHIO.

HORN.

Specication or" Letters latent.

latented Apr. 13, 1920.

Application filed Jeceinher Il, lSlS. Serial No. 265,260.

To all whom it may concer/11,

Be it known that I, lWILLIAM SPARKS, a citizen or" the United States of A merica,and resident of Jackson, in the county of' Jackson, in the State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Horns, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andrei-tact description.

rlhis invention relates to certain improvements in soundl producing devices commonly known as horns, involving the use of a diaphragm and means tor vibrating it together with a sound amplifier and suitable housings for the diaphragm and its actuating means secured together end to end to form a unitary v portable structure, and while it is specifically designed for use as an audible signal in trench warfare and other field or naval operations, it is evident that it may -be used in other relations where a devicesot this character might be o' service.

lt is evident that when a device of this character is used for the specic purpose referred to it must be light, compact and easily portable and at the same time must be simple in construction, durable 'and reliable in action and easily adjustable to compensate for wear, and the main object is to embody these qualities in an instrument of this character so as to produce the desired tone quality with a minimum number of parts and adjustments.

One of the specific objects is to provide means whereby the diaphragm actuator may be easily and quickly adjusted from the exterior of its housing to compensate for wear or to vary the tone without displacing any of the assembled parts of the device or reducing its efficiency.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts` of the horn will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure -lis a side elevation of a trench horn embodying the various features of' my invention. The portion of the supporting base being shown in section.

Fig. Q- is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the same horn taken on line 2 2, Fig. -1-.

Fig. 8- is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of' the horn taken in plane at right angles to that shown in F ig. -2. Y

As illustrated, this horn comprises a diaphragm-case -l-, a rotor case 9,- secured to one end of the diaphragm-case land a sound-amplifier secured-to the opposite end of the diaphragm-case, all of which parts are preferably circular in cross section and secured together end to end in co-arial relation to 'form a unitary structure or housing adapted to be mounted upon a suitable supporting base 4l-- through the medium ot a bracket or standard 5, having one end secured to the case -1 by screws -G- or equivalent fastening devices and its other end adjustably mounted in the base *l and held in place by a setserew 7 The diaphragm-case l preferably consists of a ring-section e8- and `a capsection 9 removably secured around 'its marginal edge to the corresponding margin of the ring -8 by screws lO-e or equivaient fastening devices, the cap-section 9- being provided with a circular tubular boss -ll* for receiving and supporting the adjacent end of the sound-amplilier -3-- A circular diaphragm 1% extends across the openings in the ring -8- and cap-section -9- and has its marginal edge inclosed in a rubber or equivalent packing -l 8- and secured between the adjacent i arginal edges of said ring and cap-section by the screws l 0- as shown more clearly in QV-e, the packing-rings or gaskets hl'- serving to yieldingly support the marginal edge of the diaphragm separate 'trom the metal parts -S- and 9- rebv reducing the liability ot crystalli- :ration of the diaphragm at its points of securement as might result from continued vibration oi the diaphragm if the marginal edges thereof were rigidly held by and in direct contact with the metal parts -S- and -9-. f

A suitable anvil or contact-member lhis riveted or otherwise secured to the central portion of the diaphragm -12 and is provided with a V-shaped end projecting into the adjacent end of the rotorlcase -2- for engagement by a rotary beater constituting a part of the diaphragm actuating means presently described.

The case -2-- is circular in cross section and serves to receive and support the diaphragm actuating mechanism comprising in this instance a toothed-wheel or rotor --15-- centrally mounted upon a rotaryshaft -16- which extends diametrically of the diaphragm a distance from the V-shaped end of the anvil 1a-- approximately equal to the radius of the toothedwheel -l5-, measured from its pitch-circle, and has its ends journaled in suitable bearings 17,- and 1S- in diametrically opposite sides of the case -2-.

The wheel -15- revolves in a plane substantially coincident with the axis of the diaphragm and is provided with a V-shaped peripheral-tooth --19-.v for engagement with the corresponding V-shaped end of the anvil 1fso as to cause the vibration of the diaphragm as the wheel -15- is r0- tated in one or the reverse direction.

It is now clear that the toothed-wheel -15- is located .substantially midway between opposite sides of the casing 9,- and substantially normal to the plane of the diaphragm so that the shaft -16- is parallel, or approximately so, with said diaphragm, although suitable provision is made for'slightly varying this normal relation between the diaphragm and its actuator tov compensate for Wear and also to vary the tone when required..

vFor this purpose the ends of the shaft -16- are conical while the bearings -17 and -18- are preferably made separate from the shell -2- and consists of adjusting screws having their inner ends provided with conical sockets of greater angles than the conical ends of the shaft so as to allow Y one end of the shaft to be adjusted readily toward and from the diaphragm without disturbing the bearing for the other end of the shaft while at the same time both bearings may be adjusted axially to prevent lost motion of the shaft -16- therein.

^ together with the sliding support- M21* may be locked and held in its adjusted position by a lock-nut -18-.

The sliding support 2lis movable lengthwise of and against the inner face of the adjacent side of the case-2* `and may be adjusted longitudinally by means of an adjusting screw 29,- which is screwed in the outer end wall of the casse-2- and is held in its adjusted position by a lock-nut Lesesaal;

-22-, the inner end of the screw -22` being provided with an annular groove for receiving a radially projecting forked end -21- of the sliding support -21- thus permitting the bar -21- to be adjusted in reverse directions to effect a corresponding adjustment of the adjacent end of the shaft --16- and toothed-wheel -15- for the purpose of taking up wear between the toothed-wheel and anvil of the diaphragm7 and varying the tone when required.

A relatively small pinion -23- is secured to the shaft -16- between the bearing 17 and toothed-wheel -15- and preferably nearer the bearing -17-- and meshes with a relatively large gear 24- which is secured to one end of a crankshaft *25* within the case -2-.

This crank-shaft -25- is journaled in a bushing .26* in the adjacent side ofthe case 2 and is provided with a handle -25- by which it may be rotated to transmit motion tothe diaphragm-actuator or wheel -15- through the medium of the gears -23- and 2e-e Y T he base -llrmay be secured to or may rest loosely upon any available support within a trench or in any other desired locality and the horn then raised or lowered to the desired height by means of the standard, and locked in its adjusted position by the set-screw 7-- ready for operation by simply rotating the crank-shaft -25-.

1f the contacting portions of the wheel -15 and anvil -14- should become impaired by wear or if a louder or softer tone should be required the screw 22- may be readily adjusted from the exterior of the case. by means of a screw-driver vor similar instrument to effect the desired adjustment of the toothed-wheel -15- closer to or farther from the anvil through the medium of the bar -21- and bearing -18- thereon.

What I claim is:

A signaling device comprising a diaphragm, a casing extending rearwardlyv therefrom, a bearing member extending through one side of the casing and adjustable therethrough in a direction substantially parallel with the diaphragm and means for locking the said bearing member in anyv of its predetermined adjusted positions, said bearing member having a substantially conical bearing seat, said casing formed with an opening through its wall at a point substantially opposite the said bearing member, a sliding bar mounted within the casing and having an opening registering with said opening through the casing and of less length than the opening through the casing, a second bearing member extending through an opening in the casing and adapted for longitudinal movement therein, said second bearing extending through the opening n said sliding bar and substantially fitting the said opening and secured to the bar and formed with a conical bearing seat, means for locking the second named bearing in any longitudinal adjusted Vposition with reference to the casing, means secured to the sldng'bar and extending thrmlgh the casing' for adjusting said bar and thereby said second named bearing7 10 a shaft having its opposite ends tapered and mounted in respective conical seats in said bearing members7 a diaphragm actuator mounted on the said shaft and means for driving the shaft.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand this 4th day of November, 1918. WILLIAM SPARKS. Witnesses LILLIAN VUNDERLICH,

W. J. CORBETT. 

